BURLINGTON, VT – Today at Handy’s Lunch in Burlington, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, hosted a press event with Vermonters who rely on the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits to access health coverage. Government funding lapsed last Tuesday, and Senate Republicans have, so far, refused to work with Democrats to extend ACA tax credits, protect health care, and reopen the government.
“The escalation in the cost of health care and funding cliff for Affordable Care Act tax credits is a real crisis for families in Vermont. But this is also something that’s going to hurt folks in Iowa. It’s going to hurt folks in Texas. These ACA tax subsidies are a lifeline for working and middle-class families across the country that are already struggling with really high expenses. So, this is not about who you voted for President—this is about health care. And there’s nothing more important to the well-being of our communities than making certain that if a loved one gets sick, they can be confident that they can get the care they need,” said Senator Welch. “This crisis that we are facing right now is totally avoidable and one that both the Senate and Congress can fix if we sit down and find common ground. When I return to Washington, I’m going to continue working hard to reach an agreement with my Republican colleagues that meets the needs of folks around the country who count on accessible, affordable health care.”
At the event, Vermont State Legislator Alyssa Black (D-Chittenden-24), a small business owner and chair of Vermont’s House Health Care Committee, shared how the ACA’s premium tax credits have allowed her to access health insurance through the exchange. If the tax credits are not extended, her premium will rise to more than $1,200 a month.
“I cannot afford that…that is more than my mortgage and taxes. So, next year, I will be making the choice—for the first time in my life—I will be making the choice to go without health insurance. And it is frightening to me,” said Representative Black. “Not only that—my role in the legislature and as Chair of Health Care, I understand the ramifications of not only to me by not having health insurance, but to the system as a whole. When relatively healthy people like me leave the market, what it does is it leaves the individuals who need to maintain their health insurance, because they are less healthy, and that raises the cost for all of us. That’s how health insurance works—healthy people pay in, sicker individuals pay in—and we all benefit when it comes our time to utilize the care, that inevitably, we will all need to do. So, this doesn’t just affect me. It raises the premiums for other individuals who have to buy health insurance. It raises the premiums for small businesses and large groups of employers. It raises the premiums for everyone, every single time someone goes without health insurance.”
View photos below and on Senator Welch’s website:
Premium tax credits will expire at the end of the year, and millions of Americans could see their premiums more than double in 2026. Nearly 27,000 Vermonters access health coverage through the ACA marketplace and the enhanced premium tax credits. Nationally, more than 24 million Americans will see significantly higher premiums or lose coverage, including 1 in 4 people with chronic conditions, 3.3 million small businesses, and 1.6 million children. An estimated 5 million will lose their health coverage.
Senator Welch’s office will remain open throughout the shutdown to help Vermonters. Resources can be found on the Senator’s website or by calling 802-863-2525.
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